Makeup is supposed to enhance your natural beauty, so it’s a bummer to learn that some of your favorite products may contain ingredients that rob your skin of its good health. Makeup tips don’t just center around how to get the perfect cat-eye or the best way to tweeze your eyebrows; they also help you choose makeup that won’t harm your skin. Learn more about what you put on your face for healthier skin now and in future.
Avoid Certain Ingredients
We now know that certain ingredients popularly found in cosmetics are bad for you. If you do nothing else, remember the names of the most harmful chemicals, and read the labels of the makeup you buy so you can avoid these substances.
Benzophenone, phthalates, carbon black, BHA, and heavy metals are dangerous. Many of them are linked to cancer or hormonal problems, and you should avoid them at all costs. These ingredients are often found in lipstick, eye liner, and other makeup products. If a company isn’t transparent about the ingredients it includes in its makeup formulas, look elsewhere.
Beware of organic or natural claims, too. If a product is actually organic, it will have the USDA seal on it, which certifies that it has at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Companies may claim that they use organic ingredients or a natural formula, but sometimes that’s just talk. Unless you see real documentation, don’t believe those claims.
Say No to Fragrances
Perfume is for your body, not for your makeup, yet many makeup manufacturers think for some reason that we need our eyelashes and cheek bones to smell good. When you’re reading ingredient labels, look for the word “fragrance.” You definitely don’t need fragrance in your eye shadow, mascara, blush, or foundation. Fragrance in makeup typically isn’t made with natural ingredients and may contain chemicals you don’t want on your face.
Unless a product specifically lists what it uses as fragrance, get something fragrance-free. You never want to buy something unless you know what’s in it. Masking lots of ingredients with the word “fragrance” isn’t a transparent way to create an ingredients list.
Do Your Research
Trying to parse through ingredients lists and remember the names of bad chemicals isn’t always easy, but you’re not without resources. Websites and apps contain the information you want about the makeup products you’re thinking of buying. Learn about safe makeup with Amway’s beauty page, or do some good old-fashioned internet searching to find lists of safe products that dermatologists have curated.
Download the free Think Dirty app to your smartphone. It lets you scan bar codes, track the ingredients of the products in your bathroom, and find better, cleaner cosmetics.
Wash Your Brushes
Even when you use safe, chemical-free makeup, you still could be clogging your pores with your makeup brushes. Makeup, skin oil, and bacteria get trapped in the hairs of your makeup brushes. The more makeup builds up on the brushes, the more you’re spreading those gross extras all over your skin. Unclean makeup brushes lead to skin irritation and breakouts. If you are concerned about any developments in your skin, visit a skin specialist such as a dermatologist London where you can get accurate advice, diagnosis and treatment if necessary.
Washing your brushes is easy. Wet them with warm water, then shampoo the bristles — but avoid getting the metal bristle base wet. Squeeze out the excess water, then lay them on a clean towel to air dry. Do it at night and they’ll be dry and ready for you in the morning.
DIY Makeup
One way to know for certain what’s in your makeup is to make some of it yourself. Though some people choose to make their own everything, including eye shadow and mascara, you don’t have to give up using liquid eyeliner or volumizing mascara just because you want to try DIY cosmetics, too. Make a natural sugar scrub or moisturizer to give your skin a clean glow before you apply your new, natural makeup products.
You’ll have your skin for your entire life, so keep it healthy and treat it well. Make sure your makeup is safe, clean, and free of chemicals to keep your skin at its best.
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